The plans of the United States Air Force include equipping its air fleet with lasers, whose power will be 100 kilowatts, by 2022. The latest development will be used on small aircraft as a special module for combat operations.
Development stage
The head of the United States Air Force Scientific Group, Morley Stone, argues that the Pentagon needs to do a tremendous job before installing lasers on military aircraft. For more security, a mounted laser system will be used.
Another research participant, David Hardy, suggested that the development of the easiest to test on warships. After achieving a successful result, you can go to the aircraft. His statements are based on the fact that ships have a high payload, are more stable and less amenable to shaking.
Previously, a 30-kilowatt laser system was installed onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Ponce, which was on combat duty in the Persian Gulf. Military structures published a video showing how a laser installation destroys a small boat from a distance.
"Admiral Matthew Klander compared this development with the Hubble telescope," says the Washington Post.
It is believed that the power of such a laser mounted on a fighter can be used to destroy missiles of various classes. For reloading weapons it is possible to use the fuel tanks of the aircraft. Eliminated the need for landing to replenish the charge, as this process is performed in the airspace. Experimental samples have already been created and successfully tested.
New generation weapons
Increasingly, there is information from various power structures that research and development of various laser weapons has begun. The military are well aware of its potential, it is for these reasons that such projects are actively developing. Scientists receive tremendous financial assistance to create and study weapons of the new generation.
